By Bockarie Allieu
The Sierra Leone U-19 Women’s Cricket team, the Junior Women’s Patriots, arrived in Rwanda today to compete in the ICC U-19 Women’s World Cup Qualifier. Eight teams from across Africa are set to participate in the tournament, with the teams divided into two groups of four. Group A consists of Botswana, Mozambique, Kenya, and Lesotho, while Sierra Leone joins Malawi, Ghana, and Eswatini in Group B.
Sierra Leone’s arrival was delayed due to the late delivery of passports for eight players, pushing their entry into Rwanda to a day after the other teams. According to the schedule, Sierra Leone is slated to face Eswatini this morning at the Gahanga A Oval in Kigali.
There remains uncertainty regarding Ghana’s participation, as they are also facing passport issues. Should Ghana fail to arrive, the tournament format will shift to a round-robin structure, where all seven remaining teams will play each other. The top two teams would then qualify for Division 1. However, if Ghana participates, the tournament will follow a group stage format, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semi-finals. The semi-final winners will automatically qualify for Division 1 and proceed to the final to determine the champion. The two losing teams will face off for third place, with the winner receiving a bronze medal.
Captain Alice Filie has assured fans that the team is determined to replicate, or even surpass, the performance of the men’s team in Tanzania during the recent ICC U-19 World Cup Qualifier. “We have the talent and determination to qualify for the next stage, and we are confident of bringing home better results than the men,” she stated.
The tournament will conclude on August 27, 2024, with teams scheduled to depart the following day.
